Communication systems installed on aircrafts, ships or even cars require electromagnetic compatibility and interference free operation. Additionally, within the aerospace industry, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires communication systems to comply with certain regulatory criteria mandating system interoperability. As a non-limiting example, aircraft systems may include primary transmitting/receiving equipment providing Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication or navigation services and secondary systems providing broadband entertainment services. As a result, FAA regulations require adequate antenna-to-antenna isolation (e.g., attenuation) between primary systems/devices providing ATC communication/navigation services (e.g., a navigation phased array antenna) and secondary communication device(s) (e.g., a second phased array antenna or a single antenna).
The isolation between the primary communication device (e.g., a primary phased array antenna) and the secondary communication device changes with the primary phased array antenna's beam forming and steering characteristics. An isolation assessment is not only based on the “worst-case” scenario, which assumes that the primary phased array antenna transmits a beam directly at the secondary communication device, but is also based on each possible beam shape and direction at the second communication device. This allows an FAA or a phased array antenna operator to setup a rule, place a mechanical/software stop, or change the design to restrict where the primary phased array antenna can be beamed to and what type of the beam shape is allowed. The “far-field pattern” is the electromagnetics term for the beam shape and direction of an antenna. The “overall far-field pattern” is designated to a phased array antenna's beam shape and direction in present disclosure. The overall far-field pattern is one parameter to determine the isolation between the primary phased array antenna and the second communication device. However, determining the overall far-field pattern is a time consuming and labor intensive process in the isolation calculation. There are many possible beam shapes and directions for a phased array antenna. It is difficult and time consuming to measure or calculate each possible overall far-field pattern (e.g., beam shape and direction).